Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra season features expanded schedule, new collaborations

The Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra’s upcoming season features an expanded symphonic series schedule, a handful of premieres and new collaborations with performing arts organizations, including some making their Fort Worth debut.

The 2023-24 season is what audiences should come to expect from future seasons with Music Director Robert Spano at the helm.

Spano and President and CEO Keith Cerny’s contracts were extended, guaranteeing they will lead the organization for at least another half a decade.

Spano, who is been in the role for a season and a half, called the upcoming season extraordinary.

He’ll perform six of the 12 programs of the symphonic season, which begins Sept. 8-10 with 2022 Cliburn Competition’s Gold Medalist Yunchan Lim. He will perform German composer Robert Schumann’s Piano Concerto. The 18-year-old South Korean was a crowd and critic favorite and the competition’s youngest winner.

Collaborations include Canadian touring group Old Trout Puppet Workshop’s takes on Sergei Prokofiev’s “Peter and The Wolf” from Oct. 20-22 and with Dallas Black Dance Theatre’s new take on Igor Stravinsky’s “Petrushka Suite” from Jan. 5-7, 2024.

Judd Palmer, one of the co-artistic directors of the Old Trout, described the show as a “ultra-huge pop-up book live performance symphonic experience.”

Dallas Black Dance Executive Director Zenetta Drew said they have had a long history of collaborations with Dallas companies. But this is their first with a Fort Worth organization, and of what she hopes are many more.

The series’ finale shows off the orchestra’s brass musicians in collaboration with the International Trombone Festival and TCU from May 31-June 22, 2024. Spano will lead the orchestra in a world premiere of TCU alumnus Kevin Day’s Double Concerto for trombone and piano and Pulitzer Prize winner Jennifer Higdon’s Low Brass Concerto.

(A chance to meet members of the Old Trout Puppet Workshop, Dallas Black Dance’s Melissa Young and Sean Smith and Higdon occur the Thursday of each performance in the Kimbell Art Museum’s Renzo Piano Pavilion.)

Principal violist DJ Cheek and Principal oboist Jennifer Corning Lucio will show off their chops in two solo shows. Russian conductor Anna Skryleva Cheek performs Hungarian composer Béla Bartók’s Viola Concerto from November 3-5. Lucio performs Ralph Vaughan Williams’s Oboe Concerto from March 1-3, 2024.

Spano continues his interest in German composer Richard Wagner from April 19-21 with a star-studded Act 1 of “Die Walküre,” the second in his acclaimed “Ring Cycle.” Soprano Karita Mattila, tenor Brandon Jovanovich and bass Raymond Aceto accompany the orchestra.

Principal guest conductor Kevin John Edusei will lead two programs. Some familiar and new faces, including Anne Manson, Tomás Netopil, Anna Skryleva and Edo de Waart, will guest conduct.

Highlights of the Pops Season include the popular “Hotel California: A Salute to the Eagles” from Sept. 1-3, the annual Home for the Holidays from Nov. 24-26 and former Music Director Laureate Miguel Harth-Bedoya rounding out the season with a live accompaniment of “Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back” from April 26-28, 2024.

The series round out with one-hour long family shows conducted by Assistant Conductor Taichi Fukumura with “Storybook: Cinderella” on Nov. 11, “Beethoven Lives Upstairs” on March 9, 2024, and concluding on April 27 with “Harry Potter Children’s Suite.” All shows are at 11 am.

The chamber series returns to the Piano Pavilion with principal keyboardist Buddy Bray collaborating with Cerny to play Bartók’s “Sonata for Two Pianos” and Mozart’s G minor quintet on October 29.

The duo will perform multiple works, from Bach to John Cage, with Spano and collaborator Pedja Mužijević on April 14.

The year would not be without one time shows and the annual gala. Houston’s FLY Dance Company performs Sept. 23 at the Will Rogers Auditorium. The world premiere of the hot video game PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds orchestral suite takes place on Oct. 7.

The gala, which takes place on Feb. 17, 2024, features soprano Renée Fleming and baritone Rod Gildfry performing Broadway hits. This year’s gala honors board chair Mercedes Bass’ longstanding financial contributions to the symphony.

“It’s truly an exciting time for orchestra,” Cerny said.

Subscriptions for the 2023–2024 season go on sale on April 4, 2023, and can be purchased by calling 817-665-6000 or online at fwsymphony.org.

Single tickets will go on sale on July 10, 2023, for 2023–2024 regular season concerts.